Can Dogs Eat Cheese? If So, What Are The Best Type of Cheese For Dog?

I don’t know about you, but I’m a huge fan of cheese. I add cheese to almost everything that I eat including sandwiches, pasta, pizza, and every single time I eat cheese, my dog stares at me as if he wants some cheese as well.

So the biggest question is, “Can dogs eat cheese? If so, what are the best type of cheese for dogs?

Can dogs eat cheese?

The most simple and straight-forward answer to this is yes, dogs can eat cheese, but there are very few health benefits that come along with cheese. Cheese contain a good amount of calcium, some protein, and some healthy fats, but giving your dog too much cheese can cause them to gain a lot of weight as well as upset their stomach.

Giving a moderate amount of cheese to your dog is totally fine. I use to feed my dog string cheese as a treat and my dog would love it.

Are dogs allergic to dairy products?

Cheese is made from dairy, but one thing to note is that cheese isn’t “full dairy” What this means is that the process of making the cheese skims away a lot of the dairy in it. Because of this, a lot of people with lactose sensitive problems can tolerate cheese but not milk.

Most dogs do not have lactose problems, matter of fact there are very few that are allergic to dairy products.

If your dog isn’t used to eating dairy products, then it can upset their stomach in the beginning. This is why it is crucial that you start off with smaller amounts and slowly move up.

What’s considered a good type of cheese for my dog?

You want to aim for cheese that are lower in lactose level and comes with more nutrition value.

My all time favorite as mentioned above is string cheese. My dogs love them and I consider these as “high-value treats”. It was an excellent way to train my dog to do basic stuff such as sitting.

“Sit dog!” Dog sits* , I give him a string cheese 🙂

Some different cheeses that are low in lactose include Colby, Monterey Jack, Cheddar, and Swiss cheese. And, as the website advises, remember to use them very sparingly!

What about cottage cheese?

Anybody that knows a thing or two about fitness will know that most people recommend cottage cheese when it comes to weight loss and bodybuilding. So the question for the dog owners out there is whether or not dogs can eat cottage cheese?

I personally like to eat cottage cheese before I sleep and I would give some to my dog as well.

“For a non-lactose-intolerant dog, a teaspoon of cottage cheese won’t harm them,” says Dog Pack. “Out of all the various types of cheese, cottage cheese is the least harmful as it’s lower in fat than other kinds of cheese, and it can be a good source of protein if you have a dog that suffers from protein-losing enteropathy.”

So if you’re going grocery shopping and thinking about purchasing some cottage cheese for yourself, buy a bigger pack for your dog as well!

What type of cheese should my dog avoid?

Alrighty, now that we know that dogs can eat cheese and the best type of cheese for dogs, let’s go over some of the cheese that you should avoid giving to your dog.

According to the American Kennel Club, “Fatty, rich cheeses, and cheeses that contain herbs or food items harmful to dogs like garlic can cause intestinal upset.”

Here is a list of cheese that I avoid giving to my dogs:

Brie/Goat Cheese – I personally love these because of the unique taste, but dogs can’t handle these type of cheese too well. Avoid them! They also contain some of the highest saturated fat levels of any cheese. Excessive amounts of fat in a dog’s diet can lead to pancreatitis, a serious and often life-threatening condition in dogs.

Blue Cheese – Personally I’m not a fan of this type of cheese. I literally remove all of them from my salads and meals. Dogs should avoid blue cheese as well.

More tips on giving your dog cheese

Everything in moderation is the mentality that I believe in. Do not give your dog too much cheese and at the same time treat cheese as a treat for your dogs. Do not use it as a meal replacer or as a main meal. Hand it to them on special occasions and let them slowly adjust to having cheese as a treat.

One of the best ways to give your dog cheese is by experimenting it. What I like to do is put a few types of different cheese in a plate and see which one my dogs enjoy the most. Results differ for everyone, but for me, my dogs love string cheese and cheddar!

I order these through Amazon and subscribe to their weekly delivery service. Super handy for me and saves me a ton of time.

I hope this article helped you! If you know any other dog owners that are wondering if dogs can eat cheese, then please send them this article! Please don’t forget to subscribe to our dog owner’s only dog community!